We studied the diversity and level of infestation of fruit flies in mango orchards in a semi -arid region in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Surveys were conducted in orchards in the irrigated perimeter of Jaíba municipality in northern Minas Gerais, from November 2016 to November 2017. Sampling was conducted by collecting mangoes and trapping flies in McPhail traps. Of the total adult flies obtained (9,033), 8,902 specimens were Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), making it the predominant species collected in the traps (91.3%). ‘Palmer’ mango fruits were only infested with C. capitata, and showed high infestation rates (15.14 puparia kg-1 of fruit). The population peak of C. capitata coincided with the occurrence of mature mango fruits in the orchards. C. capitata was the most frequent and constant species identified in the survey and can be considered a dominant species.

This study evaluated the toxic effects of organic extracts of Calotropis procera leaves on the survival, development, and reproduction of Spodoptera frugiperda. Solutions of crude methanol extract and hexane and methanol fractions of C. procera leaves were added at 1.15% and 2.14% concentrations to the artificial diet of S. frugiperda. The mortality and duration of larval and pupal phases, weights of female and male pupae, deformations of pupae and adults, the reduction of adults able to reproduce, pre-oviposition and oviposition periods, the number of postures per female, and the fecundity and fertility of S. frugiperda females were also evaluated. The extracts harmed the survival, development, and reproduction of S. frugiperda. The ingestion of extracts and fractions by caterpillars affected adults by decreasing the oviposition period, the number of postures, fecundity, and fertility. The crude MeOH extract at a 2.14% concentration harmed the evaluated parameters of the insect, except for pupal mortality, female pupae weight, and pre-oviposition period. The MeOH fraction at 2.14% caused a 50.0% mortality of caterpillars and 16.0% deformation in pupae and 33.0% in adults, reducing by 72.0% the population able to reproduce. The MeOH fraction at the 2.14% concentration caused 25.0% and 38.0% of pupal mortality and deformation, respectively. Calotropis procera has promising insecticidal properties for a biological insecticide, a convenient and sustainable strategy for protecting plants against S. frugiperda.

The objective was to evaluate the production yield and influence of the action of ascorbic acid on the color of dehydrated white and purple sweet potatoes produced in a semi-arid region. The experiment was carried out at the Laboratory of Technology of Products of Plant Origin (TPOV) of the State University of Montes Claros, Janáuba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Sweet potato roots of the cultivars Brazlândia roxa and Brazlândia branco were used. To determine the action of ascorbic acid on the color of dehydrated white and purple sweet potato, a completely randomized design with 4 replications was used. Analysis of variance was performed in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, with two cultivars (Roxa and Branca) and absence and presence of ascorbic acid. The results were submitted to statistical analysis using the Sisvar Software. The average yield of white potato was 23% and purple 18.41%. For the variable of soluble solids, no significant differences were observed between the varieties. The sweet potato cultivar Brazlândia Branca showed better yield when submitted to the drying process. The sweet potato cultivar Brazlândia, when submitted to the dehydration process, presented a more yellowish color, however, with less intense coloration in the presence of ascorbic acid.

Carrot (Daucus carota) is one of the most important vegetables in the world. Cow urine is a fertilizer available in rural areas and can be used in agriculture. However, there are no indications of the best dose to be used in carrots. The authors aimed with this work to evaluate different concentrations of cow urine in the cultivation of ‘Brasília’ carrots. The treatments consisted of five doses of cow urine (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%) applied during the culture cycle. After 90 days, the agronomic characteristics (weight, length, diameter, productivity, luminosity, chromaticity, and Hue angle) were evaluated. The application of cow urine increased the weight, diameter, and length of ‘Brasilia’ carrots.

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) has aroused interest from producers, leading to an intense demand for technical information, especially for obtaining quality seedlings. The objective of this study was to evaluate passion fruit seedlings according to age and morphological characteristics. The experiment was carried out at the seedling nursery of the State University of Montes Claros, Campus Janaúba-MG, Brazil, from March to June 2017. The cultivars BRS Gigante Amarelo, BRS Rubi do Cerrado, BRS Pérola do Cerrado and Redondo Amarelo were evaluated, distributed in randomized blocks with five replications, in a split-plot scheme (4 × 4). There was an adjustment of the model (IQM = 6.3857 − 0.3892 NL + 3.3512 SD − 0.2063 SPAD + 0.0730 LA), which proposes a quality parameter of passion fruit seedlings, high level of significance and coefficient of determination, necessary for the reliability and accuracy of the results obtained. Considering the proposed model (IQM), there is no need for destructive analysis, and evaluations can be performed in the nursery itself as soon as a seedling lot reaches the recommended height of 30 cm. The evaluated characteristics contribute significantly to the quality of the seedling, and it is recommended, besides the height measurement, to evaluate the number of leaves, the stem diameter, the leaf area and the SPAD index, because the combination of these parameters will guarantee the necessary quality of the seedlings to be transplanted in the field.

Phomopsis sojae and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are responsible for stem and pod dryness and white mold in soybean. These pathologies directly affect the quality of seeds/grains and compromise the entire plant. The use of extracts from different plants has been the subject of research for the control of several phytopathogens. Calotropis procera is among botanical species that synthesize efficient compounds for biocontrol. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of C. procera aqueous extract on P. sojae and S. sclerotiorum. The experiment was carried out in completely randomized blocks in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme (two fungi and five extract concentrations 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) with 4 replicates. C. procera aqueous extract concentrations were added to Petri dishes containing PDA. After 48 hours, the mycelial growth rate was evaluated. After seven days of incubation, the fungal colony area, sporulation, and germination of P. sojae and S. sclerotiorum were evaluated. There was significant interaction between fungi × extract concentrations (p < 0.05) for all variables analyzed. The mycelial growth rate of P. sojae was lower than that of S. sclerotiorum. The diameter of the P. sojae fungal colony was smaller than that of S. sclerotiorum when concentrations of 5%, 10% and 15% were used. As the extract concentration increased, fungi sporulation and germination reduced.